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Dear AG,

Now, you aren't fooling a god damned soul if you think you're gonna get anything but coal this holiday season. But we all know, that won't stop you! So here is a blast from the past ( mine whee ). Us AG'ers enjoy our sweets and baked goods. That's for sure. Delicious caek and cookies.

My grandmother is 93 years old this December. So I dug out a cookbook that had published her cookie recipes in 1985. I grew up with these cookies every Christmas season. She'd bring over dozens of them. So I want to share her recipes with you!

I was unable ( due to internet problems ) to get to AG in time to register for cards and Santas, and I felt pretty guilty. I wanted to give something back 'cause ilu, so here goes.

Her Standard Sugar Cookies:

Mix together :
1/2 cup of shortening
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg

Stir in :
1 tbsp. milk or cream
1 tsp. flavoring ( vanilla, nutmeg, orphan, etc. )

Sift together and stir in :
1-1/4 cups sifted flower
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Chill dough, roll very thin 1/16th inch, cut in desired shapes. Place on lightly greased baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar. 3nodding Bake in a hot oven set at 425 degrees for 5 - 7 minutes, or until delicately browned. This makes about 5 dozen 3 and a half inch cookies.


Gum Drop Cookies ( aka Dentists worst nightmare ):

What you need :

1 cup soft shortening
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour milk, buttermilk, or water
2 and 1/2 cups sifted flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3 to 4 cups of gumdrops!!!!!!!!!!

What to do :

Mix shortening, sugar and eggs. Stir in milk ( or whatever you chose ). Sift dry ingredients together and stir in. Mix in gumdrops. Let chill for 1 hour. 3nodding Heat oven to 400 degrees. Drop teaspoon fulls of cookie mix about 2 inches apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes. Makes 6 dozen.

There are two more recipes but.. One involves fruit and the other involves raisins. I am a firm believer that fruits and sweets do not belong together despite my grandmothers best interests in my health as a kid, and her mothers, and so forth.

AG is not composed of one person. But of many. And I am sure that each person here has a special cookie that they favor over all others ( I happen to love Mexican wedding cake cookies best ). So come on AG! Post your cookie and sweets recipes for the rest of AG to indulge in for the Holiday season!!!

heart

heart heart thanks 3nodding i have about 600 recipes from old ladies around the st. louis area. My grandmother used to work for a government program called Corp, and they put out a cookie and cake book in 1985. Grandma (mine) put in four of hers. 3nodding I'm set for cookie baking for the rest of my life. xd

Yup! I was confused at first xd
Let Rachels rule this thread! scream
*starts baking*
Uh oh, I don't know if we have milk..

Google is my cookbook. I just search around until I find a recipe that I both understand and have the ingredients for.

Lemon-bar wise, I use Epicurious' recipe only I 2/3rd the base and 150% the filling.

It's funny, as much as I like making desserts, the ones I make are usually nothing to write home about, they're good because they're desserts. I could go look up what I used for things like cherry cup cakes, persimmon cookies and the like though.

I have a few savory recipes though that have been highly bastardized enough to call my own.

I really look forward to trying that sugar cookie recipe. I've never had one that has worked especially well for me so that I could use cookie cutters and I have a collection of Autumn and Halloween cookie cutters that I would love to use.

I did make these though:
http://tweedlekeys.livejournal.com/213624.html

Ahaha. i think it'll be ok if some falls out. they make like.. several dozen cookies each batch. blaugh

ours cut pretty ok. i think the trick is rolling the dough over some flour and flattening it with a rolling pin so the cut outs dont stick. sweatdrop though we had some really REALLY flat ones. XD